Experts foresee split in Pakistani Taliban over leadership succession

[Zarvan]

A video grab taken from an undated video released by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shows its slain chief Mullah Fazlullah (C) at an known location at Pak-Afghan border. Fazlullah was killed by a US drone on 13 June 2018 in Kunar province, Afghanistan. (EPA)
Updated 1 min 56 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN
June 17, 201816:33
97

• The emergence of the TTP was the result of one charismatic personality, Baitullah Mehsud, followed by Hakimullah Mehsud
• Unlikely the Afghan Taliban, which remains united, the TTP will split into a couple more factions

KARACHI: Experts say they foresee a splintering of the Pakistani Taliban due to a likely conflict over leadership succession.

Mullah Fazalullah, head of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed by a US drone strike on Wednesday.

According to some media reports, the TTP has named Umar Rehman — alias Ustad Fateh, a resident of the Swat Valley in Pakistan — as the new chief. But Taliban insiders deny this.
“All that has happened after the death of Fazalullah was to lay him to rest,” a TTP source told Arab News.

Asfandyar Mir, a security expert who has studied the insurgency and drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas, said the succession is “a tenuous issue” for the TTP.

Its most powerful faction, Mehsud Halqa, was “not happy” with Fazalullah’s ascension as leader, Mir added.

The faction “remained distant” from him, “often disagreeing with him openly, at other times never fully supporting his operational strategy,” Mir said.

Mehsud Halqa’s leader, Maulvi Noor Wali, “is an experienced and well-respected commander,” and “is better positioned in terms of organizational skill and social capital to revive the TTP,” Mir added. The TTP could fracture if it appoints a Swat commander as its next leader, he said.

Khalid Mohammed, director of Command Eleven, an Islamabad-based security think tank, said: “The TTP Mehsuds, who started the terror group, will never accept a non-Mehsud as their leader, especially someone associated with… Fazalullah.”

Mohammed, who hails from the Swat Valley, added that Umar Rehman is unknown in his community.

Wali, 40, is seen as a contender. He was made deputy after the killing of Khalid Sajna in a drone strike, and was the TTP’s Karachi chief from June 2013 until May 2015.
He is author of the book “Inquilab-e-Mehsud,” in which he claimed to have assassinated former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

“The emergence of the TTP was the result of one charismatic personality, Baitullah Mehsud, followed by Hakimullah Mehsud. Once these two people were gone, the TTP was exposed to all sorts of internal rifts,” said security expert Imtiaz Gul, adding that the leadership succession will take some time.

If a non-Mehsud becomes leader, “this will mean the further splintering of the organization,” he said.
“Unlikely the Afghan Taliban, which remains united, the TTP will split into a couple more factions.”

Mir said: “Fazalullah’s death will add to the TTP’s woes. It has been in turmoil for many years. The organization has been blunted by years of drone strikes and Pakistani military operations.”

http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1322976/world

 

[Path-Finder]

I will say it like a broken record Pakistan needs to start eliminating threats in afghanistan. You cannot depend on the yanks, How many years did it take them to neutralise that bastard??

 

[Azadkashmir]

I will say it like a broken record Pakistan needs to start eliminating threats in afghanistan. You cannot depend on the yanks, How many years did it take them to neutralise that bastard??

erm they kept it fed, trained, equipped.

 

[Darth Vader]

Pakistan needs to Go after the investment going to TTP , thats the only solution,
They Need to Takeout the investors , Supporters inside Pakistan who provide shelter, Intel man power,
TTP will start to die itself.
One Major thing which Pakistan needs to do is at least show the capability, that Afghanistan is not save for them,
keep doing limited operations inside afghan after regular intervals em not saying full fledged war,
Pakistan had 4 Million Afghan citizens Pakistan does have upper hand they need to make sure if ANA cant protect its side of border than they shouldn't interfere with Pakistani operations in there side of border.
Do Regular Covert Ops after intervals so they can build pressure ,
it will do divert TTP from Attacking to trying to save itself inside other country.


otherwise they will keep attacking and bleeding Pakistan.

Even with all the media hype US has inflected most damage to TTP in Afghanistan, when most people start crying tears i dont get it whats the point of blaming US when Pakistani army itself is not doing there job , In Last year how many times TTP attacked Pakistani border check posts and how many Pakistani soldier died , what did Pakistan actually do beside firing some random shells nothing, and nothing will change

 

[BATMAN]

Experts my foot... MOFO MFU was a puppet, so will be the next MOFO XYZ.
MOFO MFU was killed by his handlers, next MOFO will also meet the same fate.

BS picture in OP. Just bunch of show horses, this is why they are not covering their faces.
Work horses are usually with covered faces, having dark skins and body structure looking much like Indians, rather Pashtoons.

 

[sady]

Seal off the border as much as you can. Improve local police, spend on local infrastructure and most of all work on promoting Pakistani Nationalism. Needs a government level effort to define and promote Nationalism. This is the thread that will bind us all togther.
https://msakhanblog.wordpress.com/2...ts-inception-future-and-in-relation-to-islam/

 

[Baghial]

erm they kept it fed, trained, equipped.

experts cant find there own rear end............... but can presume/ predict successions? of ttp

 

[Chakar The Great]

Irrespective of spilt, TTP is becoming increasingly weak, as Afghan Talibans capture more area, TTP's influence is shrinking , they have been completely wiped out of Pakistan.

 

[YeBeWarned]

TTP will eventually merge into ISIS Afghanistan .. Mark my words , their masters are re-branding TTP into ISIS in Afghanistan anyway

 

[Umair Nawaz]

With all u guys rejoicing, i will humbly disagree....If TTP splits they r most likely to join the DAESH, which is now an emerging threat in the region. It wil gain more fighters. TTP was already dead all most...it was well contained. DAESH that was send to this region by America was actually because the TTP was defeated! they were no longer upto the task.

I would even suggest that instead of Fazalullah we should have asked the Americans to rather kill Khorasani or whoever DAESH head is in this region.

or even better, should have done it ourselves!

 

[ghazi52]

Taliban Commander Molvi Bahadur Jan arrested from Peshawar airport: FIA sources

PESHAWAR: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has apprehended proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Commander Molvi Bahadur Jan, Immigration sources said Sunday.

The most wanted TTP Commander Bahadur Jan was taken into custody by FIA Immigration personnel from Bacha Khan International Airport, the sources said.

The sources further said the militant commander wanted to flee Dubai via a private airline.

The Taliban Commander, whose name was included in the stop list by interior ministry, had changed his getup, the sources said and added that he was arrested while verification of his travel documents.

 

[Baghial]

Well what the hell he was doing at airport? To flee? He must been bouble crossed...bingo

 

[Maarkhoor]

A video grab taken from an undated video released by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shows its slain chief Mullah Fazlullah (C) at an known location at Pak-Afghan border. Fazlullah was killed by a US drone on 13 June 2018 in Kunar province, Afghanistan. (EPA)
Updated 1 min 56 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN
June 17, 201816:33
97

• The emergence of the TTP was the result of one charismatic personality, Baitullah Mehsud, followed by Hakimullah Mehsud
• Unlikely the Afghan Taliban, which remains united, the TTP will split into a couple more factions

KARACHI: Experts say they foresee a splintering of the Pakistani Taliban due to a likely conflict over leadership succession.

Mullah Fazalullah, head of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed by a US drone strike on Wednesday.

According to some media reports, the TTP has named Umar Rehman — alias Ustad Fateh, a resident of the Swat Valley in Pakistan — as the new chief. But Taliban insiders deny this.
“All that has happened after the death of Fazalullah was to lay him to rest,” a TTP source told Arab News.

Asfandyar Mir, a security expert who has studied the insurgency and drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas, said the succession is “a tenuous issue” for the TTP.

Its most powerful faction, Mehsud Halqa, was “not happy” with Fazalullah’s ascension as leader, Mir added.

The faction “remained distant” from him, “often disagreeing with him openly, at other times never fully supporting his operational strategy,” Mir said.

Mehsud Halqa’s leader, Maulvi Noor Wali, “is an experienced and well-respected commander,” and “is better positioned in terms of organizational skill and social capital to revive the TTP,” Mir added. The TTP could fracture if it appoints a Swat commander as its next leader, he said.

Khalid Mohammed, director of Command Eleven, an Islamabad-based security think tank, said: “The TTP Mehsuds, who started the terror group, will never accept a non-Mehsud as their leader, especially someone associated with… Fazalullah.”

Mohammed, who hails from the Swat Valley, added that Umar Rehman is unknown in his community.

Wali, 40, is seen as a contender. He was made deputy after the killing of Khalid Sajna in a drone strike, and was the TTP’s Karachi chief from June 2013 until May 2015.
He is author of the book “Inquilab-e-Mehsud,” in which he claimed to have assassinated former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

“The emergence of the TTP was the result of one charismatic personality, Baitullah Mehsud, followed by Hakimullah Mehsud. Once these two people were gone, the TTP was exposed to all sorts of internal rifts,” said security expert Imtiaz Gul, adding that the leadership succession will take some time.

If a non-Mehsud becomes leader, “this will mean the further splintering of the organization,” he said.
“Unlikely the Afghan Taliban, which remains united, the TTP will split into a couple more factions.”

Mir said: “Fazalullah’s death will add to the TTP’s woes. It has been in turmoil for many years. The organization has been blunted by years of drone strikes and Pakistani military operations.”

http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1322976/world

Killing of Mullah Radio is not a good sign....since they use him and now trashed him in order to create rifts between Taliban so that they can be crushed and replaced by Daish.....

We should seal our border with Afghanistan and finish fence work ASAP.

 

[Menace2Society]

These Pashteens have nothing better to do. Targetting a poor Muslim country for some foreign agency funds. Pathetic, how many innocents have died. Please drop a nuke on them and do mankind a favour.